London Office Strengthens Planet’s European Space And AI Presence
New Hub Near Westminster Aims To Deepen Government, Commercial Partnerships
Planet Labs UK has opened a central London office that the company says will anchor its work with government, commercial and research partners across the United Kingdom and wider Europe.
“There’s a massive economic opportunity here in downstream services, and as the UK is a services-led economy, it is in a prime position to lead.”
Will Marshall, Planet Labs
The office is located within walking distance of Westminster and Whitehall and is intended to function as a national hub for artificial intelligence and analytics partnerships, as well as a convening space for customer events, country delegations and regional staff. Planet described the move as a milestone in its broader commitment to the UK’s space economy and its growing European footprint.
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Will Marshall said the London site reflects both his personal ties and the company’s view of the market. “As a British founder, it’s a delight to open our first UK office. And it’s great to see the UK’s leadership in both space and AI,” Marshall said. “There’s a massive economic opportunity here in downstream services, and as the UK is a services-led economy, it is in a prime position to lead.”
Marshall said Planet plans to work closely with UK government departments and industry groups to expand the use of Earth observation data across sectors. He cited planned engagement with the Ministry of Defence, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the Department of Business and Trade and NATO representatives, alongside organizations such as UKspace, TechUK, Space4Climate, ADS Group, the British Association of Remote Sensing Companies and the King’s Sustainable Markets Initiative.
Planet operates a constellation of more than 200 satellites and has maintained a UK presence for years through Goonhilly Earth Station in Cornwall, which supports high-frequency data downlinks from the fleet. The company said ground stations in the UK, Germany, Iceland and Norway now handle nearly half of its global data downloads.
The UK is Planet’s only market with executive leadership based locally outside the United States, and its team in the country has grown to more than 30 people. Those employees work across engineering, sales, customer support, government affairs and marketing, integrating with the UK space ecosystem and, according to the company, building an understanding of local challenges and opportunities.
With the London office open, Planet said it intends to step up recruitment across the UK, targeting highly skilled professionals from the country’s space, data science and AI communities.
UK Space Minister Liz Lloyd framed the new office as an example of how procurement can shape the sector. “Planet’s decision to open a London office is a powerful vote of confidence in the UK’s world-leading science and technology ecosystem,” Lloyd said. “Having already won UK government contracts, I’m delighted to see them deepen their roots in our space ecosystem – proof that government procurement can drive growth and attract businesses to Britain.”
Lloyd said the company’s expansion brings new jobs in AI, data science and space to the UK and “is playing a vital role in cementing the UK’s status as a global science and technology superpower.”
Charlie Candy, Planet’s Chief Revenue Officer and UK Managing Director, said proximity to decision-makers was central to the site selection. “The UK office allows us to better serve our critical customers by being physically present where the decisions that shape the country are made,” Candy said. He described the office as “an international engine for hosting Planet employees, customers and partners – enabling discussion on the innovative solutions needed to address complex global challenges.”
Planet said the London office joins a European network that includes its regional headquarters and planned satellite manufacturing facility in Berlin, along with offices in Haarlem, Ljubljana and Graz. The company said Europe now accounts for more than 30 percent of its global workforce.